Green Horizons

It is important to promote land stewardship by recognizing landowners who are doing a good job of caring for the natural resource on their land. For decades the American Tree Farm® program has served that function for forest landowners. The familiar green and white diamond sign has identified a landowner who is taking good care of their land and the forest on it.

In 2008, the American Tree Farm System® was recognized by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) as a sustainable forest management certification scheme. By becoming a forest certification system Tree Farm is able to provide a significant benefit to its member landowners. They are able to conclusively demonstrate that they are managing their forest sustainably. This benefit is important as it is usually required for participation in environmental services markets such as those for carbon and water, but it has come at a cost. Comprehensive, high-quality forest management plans are required, and landowners are required to actually implement their plan. Random third-party audits are conducted in each state every five years to ensure the integrity of the system. Not all landowners are prepared for this level of commitment, and some have begun to drop out of Tree Farm. Also, the increasing trend toward smaller ownerships does not lend itself well to the type of traditional forest management Tree Farm is designed for. Tree Farm’s movement beyond being a landowner recognition program has left a gap in the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s (MDC) ability to recognize landowners who are managing their land well.

Missouri Heritage Woods is a new program designed by MDC to fill the gap between the rigorous Tree Farm requirements on one hand and the minimal requirements of the Missouri Forestkeepers Network at the other end of the commitment spectrum. The program will become part of the Missouri Forestkeepers Network and be jointly administered by MDC and Forest ReLeaf of Missouri. The program is designed to recognize landowners that take outstanding care of their woods and strive to assure healthy and continuing growth.

To be eligible to participate in Heritage Woods a landowner must have three contiguous acres of woods. To become recognized as a member of the program landowners must complete five activities, from a minimum of two categories, during the past three years. Categories include: actively caring for wildlife, actively caring for trees, planting trees, woods management, stream restoration, advocacy, and annually completing a Forestkeepers tree observation form. There are many potential activities in each category. Membership in the program lasts for a period of three years, after which reapplication is required.

Benefits of becoming a Heritage Woods member include:

• Heritage Woods Missouri metal sign to post on the property;
• Certificate recognizing the landowner’s property as a Heritage Woods;
• Membership in Missouri Forestkeepers Network;
• Opportunities to attend technical and educational workshops;
• Resource information regarding caring for woods and wildlife.

For more information about Heritage Woods or to submit your application please visit the Missouri Forestkeepers Network web site at: http://www.forestkeepers.org